


Reaction

by robert_downey_jr



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Blood and Gore, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, He needs his own damn love interest, Kissing, Lemon, Love, Monsters, Oral Sex, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, Touching, alchemy experiments, that I approve of at least
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-07-10 21:55:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7009666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robert_downey_jr/pseuds/robert_downey_jr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eskel takes on an easy, lucrative job at a nobleman's house. However, when he meets the nobleman's nosy alchemist daughter with a penchant for dangerous experiments things begin to change in his smooth-flowing life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cerebral Fluid

**Author's Note:**

> Let me kiss this man, dammit.

Humming. 

 

That was the first thing Eskel had heard as he came through the large farm grounds. 

Soft, yet melodic humming from a distance. He couldn't point out what song it was but it was familiar. 

It was a clear day, clearer than anything he'd seen in a long time. He walked through the opened gates and saw three laundresses doing their morning work outside. This kind of serenity had made him uneasy. However, he noticed that a carriage was parked outside the large mansion that he now stood in front of. He held the contract in his hand and sported his usual grimace as he approached the front door. Before he had a chance to knock the door was swung open by a large, old maid. Her eyes flew wide as she looked at Eskel. He knew it wasn't for the medallion around his neck. No. It was the three jagged scars that took up most of his face. The maid's face nearly paled but soon enough a well-dressed man was coming up from behind her. 

"Margot, I am simply running late--oh!" The man stopped right in his tracks. 

The maid, Margot, turned her head to the man and nodded. They exchanged nervous looks and Eskel sighed before unrolling the pamphlet in his hand. The maid was the first to inspect it but rolled her eyes at the cursive writing. The well-dressed man fixed his spectacles and observed the sheet. Eskel observed the man to be in his late fifties by the wrinkles on his face. The man also grew a large (nicely trimmed) beard. His suit could easily pay for a month of food by Eskel's observation. 

"Ah! A Witcher! I was wondering when that contract would be answered! How do you do? I am Thomas Bucksley." 

Thomas stuck his hand out and Eskel didn't shake it but merely looked at it. A foreign sign to him. He wasn't used to humans being polite--or courteous to a Witcher. Thomas took back his hand, turning to Margot, he handed her his luggage in his other hand. 

"Come with me, master Witcher." 

Thomas motioned to Eskel to follow as he strode out the front door. Margot followed behind--at a distance from Eskel. 

"I was told you had a drowner problem on your residence?" Eskel nearly muttered. 

Lord Bucksley didn't stop before his carriage driver opened the door to the carriage for him. Thomas swept into the cart with ease. 

"Yes, yes. My daughter, Viana, can tell you everything. She has your payment as well. She resides in the back of the mansion in her green-house." 

"Hey, I never agreed to talk to your-" Eskel said a minute too late. 

The carriage door had slammed shut, silencing any questions or demands Eskel had. With a quick yank on the reigns, Eskel's employer took off into the country side. He stifled his groan of anger and turned to where the maid was fixing her apron. She nearly jumped once she noticed his agitated eyes had landed on hers. 

"I-I will show you to Lady Viana's g-greenhouse." She stumbled over her words. 

Eskel followed behind the large woman as she wove him around the side of the house. From the western side of the house was stables that horses neighed in. A stable master stood inside and nearly froze once he got a good look at the lumbering Witcher. Did his eyes go to the swords on his back first? They nearly gleamed from the sun above him. As they reared around he could see more buildings appear in the distance. A farmhouse that was large enough to keep more than one cow inside, a chicken coop from the far eastern side and then the actual field which was more of a vineyard. The trees bloomed with white and red petals that stretched far into the country side. 

It made him wonder where these drowners were actually hiding? Finally, the maid stopped and pointed to a small greenhouse just on the outskirts of the house. It was a small, secluded shack but nonetheless it was large enough to hold a small garden of plants. 

"Lady Viana is in there. I would travel with you but the beasts linger just a little bit far into the woods." 

"Is that your only excuse?" He inquired. 

The maid's face paled and in a blink of an eye she was already high-tailing back into the large manor. He let out a grunt before making his way through the vineyard. He hadn't taken on a job this lucrative in a long time. The notice had only been posted for a week when he'd come to this small town. But still, what kind of nobility did these people belong to have such luxury? Half-way through his walk toward the green house he began to hear the humming again. He listened and saw that there was movement within the small greenhouse. Indeed. The noble's daughter was in there. 

He nearly enjoyed the sound of the lazy humming before an explosion sounded within the building. 

Eskel immediately ran up to the door, flung it open, and let the smoke disperse from the building. He could see no flames but only heard coughing coming from within. He pressed in and moved through large shelves full of books and plants. 

"Shit!" He heard a woman's voice hiss. 

He wove through the maze of bookcases and desks before turning a corner to find one woman at a desk. The smoke, which was being fanned away by a hand, had come from an alchemy station that had reeked of one too many chemicals. His eyes lifted to where the hand waved the smoke. The woman before him, who he could only assume as Lady Viana, was the Lord’s daughter. 

She was dressed in a wool dress that hugged and curved her curvaceous waistline. She was slim but not slim enough to prove that she didn't eat. The dress was layered in heaps of wool. The first color was an off white that cascaded down to her feet. It held a square neckline with elbow-length sleeves that were trimmed with lace. Over the large dress was a blue apron that was stained with different colors. Eskel had guessed it was from her experiments. 

From her chest up, she revealed to be a woman that was in her late twenties, with a strong jawline and perfect plump lips. Brown hair had been swept up into a loose bun at the top of her head, letting two wisps of hair hug her tight cheek bones. Her nose was sloped into a straight, narrow line. And then above her nose were mesmerizing green eyes. The kind of color that you'd find grass to be on the first day of spring. 

Viana nearly jumped from his lumbering presence in the greenhouse. 

"Oh! I've been expecting you! Wonderful!" She said bringing her hands together. 

Eskel didn’t say anything but simply waited for her to give him his orders and where to go slay the beasts. But by the look of this woman, she wasn’t that cut and dry. 

"My name is Viana. And you are?” She asked, her large green eyes twinkling. 

Did he want to go to the lengths to do introductions? He wanted to be in and out of this place faster than he came through the gates. Eskel rolled his shoulders back and fixed his posture. Viana unlaced her gloves and placed them on the desk that separated them. 

“Witcher.” He stated. 

Viana’s smile faltered slightly and she nodded. Silence started to cut between them. Eskel could hear her heart race kick up a notch. Did he make her nervous? Was it his demeanor that made her heart jump? Or did the rumors of terrifying Witchers scare her for him? 

“My father sent you?” Viana finally asked. 

"As he ran for his carriage outside the house. Could barely get a word in before he had slammed the door in my face.” 

"Yes. My father tends to be like that. He's a man on a tight schedule. But, I doubt you came here to hear my ramblings.” 

Viana kept her gaze pinned on his yellow eyes but soon enough they dropped to the necklace around his neck. Her eyebrows hunched together and she tilted her head at the medallion. 

"What school did you come from?" 

"School of Wolf." He answered quickly. 

Viana smoothed her apron at her waist. A nervous habit from what Eskel gathered. It managed to slow her heart race to a minimal amount. 

"The drowner problem has become quite an issue." She said tucking a stray hair behind her ear. 

"Yeah. When did these drowners show up?" 

Viana pursed her lips in thought. 

"A nearly two months ago. We had hunters take out the first set but they seem to keep coming back." 

"Where can I find them?" 

"Just beyond these woods at the lake we have." 

"Have they hurt or touched anything?" 

"Just my garden. Damn creatures make it nearly impossible to go harvest my herbs." 

By the sound of it, it had to be a nest. There couldn't be anything else that proved it to be otherwise. 

"I'll take care of it but let's talk about my pay." 

Viana turned to the desk behind her and tossed a large coin satchel on the desk between them. Eskel's eyes could have popped out of his head by the fatness of the bag. 

"I trust that this is more than enough, yes?" 

"Plenty."

Before he could walk out of the greenhouse Viana called after him. 

"Master Witcher?" She asked politely. 

Eskel turned with raised eyebrows. 

"Once you've ridden the lake of it's beasts I was hoping you could bring me a drowner corpse." 

Eskel's brows furrowed. "What do you need the corpse for?" 

"I'm needed a particular ingredient for my formula. I suspect that a drowner body has the alchemical ingredient I require." 

"Such as?" 

"Aren't Witchers supposed to be less nosy?” Viana asked. 

"Aren't noble ladies supposed to be married off?” He retorted. 

Viana huffed. "I need to drain it's head for cerebral fluids. Then, I must drain it's spine for it’s fluids as well. I have to run comparison tests based on what kind of levels—“ 

Eskel cut her off. "Don't you just want the head?" 

Viana’s eyes nearly burst out of her skull. "Of course not! If you remove the head from the body the cerebral fluid could leak out. I shan't take just a head." 

Eskel sighed. "This is really out of my work pay." 

“I can pay you more. I would appreciate it greatly.” Viana gave a warm smile. 

They stared each other down for a moment. Eskel looked back to the coin purse on the desk and then back to the door. This was the easiest job around and the pay was too good to walk away from. But still, even if he could walk away from this job there was something…odd about Viana. Sure, she was an alchemist but by her greenhouse she was deeply invested in her work. Whatever she needed a drowner corpse for must be big. 

Eskel put his hand out between the two of them. Viana’s eyes shot to his hand and then back to his eyes. 

“Deal.” 

Viana smiled again. “Deal.” And she took his hand in hers.


	2. The Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eskel discovers that there is more than just drowners residing by the lake.

  
Eskel trumped all the way through the woods with his hand still tingling from Viana's touch. She was a curious woman. He hadn't met another alchemist that was so--forward. Nor did he meet anyone that treated "mutants" like him with such politeness. It made him suspicious of her. If he was to go back toward the house after scoping out the lake would there be an army of angry villagers ready to run him out of the town? Or was he going to go back and see that Viana was waiting for his return with the corpse? Which one did he prefer more? 

 

Eskel stopped once tracks had become visible in his line of vision. He could hear the drowners in the distance while they caused havoc in the waters. He'd have to throw a bomb in the lake to rid the infestation in the waters. He was thrown out of his thoughts once he noticed a different pair of tracks were muddled into the murky grounds. He could easily point out a drowner's footprints by the webbed feet. But these tracks showed actual toe marks. Too long to be a human and too scrawny to be Drowned Dead foot prints. The lake wasn't too far out from where he stood. He was going to have to follow the separate tracks after he dispatched the drowners. 

 

Eskel unsheathed his silver blade and made lithe steps toward the edge of the forest. He could see movements ruffle beyond a set of bushes. Then, the stench of fish and rotting flesh overwhelmed his senses. No matter how many contracts he took, no matter how many beasts he'd slain before, nothing ever topped the stench of drowners. He peered over the shrubbery to see five drowners ruffling through a dead deer carcass. All of them surrounded the dead animal which made it easy for Eskel to toss one of his Northern Wind bombs over the bushes. As it detonated and unleashed it's ice blast that froze all of the drowners in place. 

 

Like lightning Eskel swept in before the ice could start to crack. He plunged his sword deep into the back of one drowner and sliced off the head of the next. Before he could move to third and fourth the ice finally shattered and the rest of the drowners sprung free. One drowner already seized an opportunity to lash out towards Eskel. He dodged only to send a telekinetic blast into the two that swept in behind him. He dove and slashed his sword across the drowner's belly in front of him. Rolling back onto his toes he swiftly turned and drove his blade deep into the drowner that he had gone behind. 

 

The last two drowners swarmed in and this time Eskel had countered it. With a swift kick into the corpse on his blade, the body was thrown forward and into the two drowners that came running up. Eskel unleashed a wave of fire from his hand while the drowners got back up. The drowners caught fire, thus distracting them to make anymore attacks, and Eskel rolled his shoulders before swinging his blade up to cleanly slice through the fourth drowner's neck. He twisted away from the blood spatter and moved close enough swivel his blade back around. The last drowner fanned the flames off of it's scales and turned it's attention back to Eskel. Eskel gave a firm shove into the fifth drowner's stomach and launched him backwards on it's back. Without hesitation Eskel drove his blade into the heart of the beast, letting the silver spear through each layer of scales and skin, before he had cut through the heart. 

 

Other than the sounds of birds cawing in the distance, a stillness had  fallen around the sandy lake. Eskel didn't remove his sword from the drowner corpse. He pulled back the ring of his puffball bomb he tossed it in the lake. With that, he finally wrenched his blade from the drowner corpse. He turned to the cleanest drowner corpse that had been killed first. In the thick of battle he had clearly cut this one straight through the chest without puncturing or severing any major arteries of the spinal cord. Eskel retrieved a piece of rope from his bag and tied it around the drowners throat. The bomb he had thrown in finally exploded and with that came a large mushroom wave that tossed up four more drowners plus more fish than Eskel could count. As he hauled the body away from the scene he heard the sounds of the drowner bodies crushing into the ground. That was one job done.  Eskel knew he still needed to follow the tracks from earlier. He was going to need to report that to Viana before he'd tell her the place was clear. The last thing he needed was her to come after him if the waters were still deemed unsafe. 

 

He hauled the corpse all the way back from the woods to the edge of the estate. Eskel saw some sheets drying in the afternoon breeze. He snatched the sheer off the rack, wrapped the drowner in the cloth and hauled it over his shoulder. This way he wouldn't reek as horribly if he did it without the sheet. He kicked open the door to Viana's greenhouse, wove through the maze of bookcases until he found her with her nose in a large book. He saw that a surgical table had been laid out for him. Where do people manage to find these things? Eskel dumped the body on the metal slab, tied the braces on the ankles and wrists of the beast, and then cleared his throat. 

 

Viana lifted her nose from her book and then her eyes began to sparkle from seeing the drowner corpse. She dropped the book in her haste to grasp a pair of gloves and a brown satchel that clanked obnoxiously. She came closer and froze as the smell came to her nose. She held a hand over her mouth as if she'd vomit. Viana waved a hand and color returned to her cheeks. 

 

"They don't warn you of the smell in bestiaries." She said giving a weak smile. 

 

"No. They don't." 

 

"I hope that everything went...swimmingly with clearing the lake?" 

 

Eskel's stone-cold face nearly faltered at her jest. The corners of his mouth twitched instead. 

 

"I'll need to go back and burn the bodies but I will also need to do some more investigating." 

 

"What ever for?" Viana asked. 

 

Eskel watched as she untied the leather satchel and laid out it's contents. It was a surgical kit that held nearly every medical tool he could think of. Viana had grasped a thick bladed tool and began to make incisions around the skull of the drowner. 

 

"I found some tracks that didn't match up with the drowners. I suspect you have more than one problem with the lake." 

 

Viana's eyebrows furrowed as she sliced deeper into the skin. 

 

"Do you think there is more than just the drowners that infect the lake?" 

 

"It's possible. But I won't be sure unless I go back." 

 

Viana began to peel back the skin of the forehead while slowly sawing away the tissue from the bone. Eskel liked to be thorough with his experiments but she was taking better caution that he'd ever done before. Maybe that's because she was more likely to get sick from the stench of the corpses. 

 

"Your bonus is on the desk behind me. If you wish to go then I shan't stop you." 

 

"But?" 

 

Viana lifted her gaze from removing the scalp of the drowner. He could see the skull beginning to peek from the incisions. 

 

"But what?" 

 

"But, don't you need me to stay and find out what the other tracks mean?" 

 

"Not unless you want to, Witcher. Tis but only your choice. I cannot influence you to stay. If you wish to seek more money for this separate job I can provide for it." 

 

The coin he had PLUS the bonus was more than enough for him to pay for the second job. 

 

"I'll have to track down the beast first and then we can decide on the price." 

 

"Will it take long?" Viana asked rather quickly. 

 

"Finding the beast? Or killing it?" 

 

"Finding it." She asked. 

 

Viana then grasped for a broad yet circular blade at her side. She grasped a metal tube, and placed it below the gills of the drowners neck. 

 

"It won't take too long unless it resides somewhere outside of the lake but I doubt it." 

 

"Do you have any theories?" 

 

Viana then tilted the drowner's head to one side and began to saw a small hole through the skull. She sawed with small yet deep slices. After a hole had been cleanly cut through the skull Viana grasped the metal tube and shoved it into the socket. 

 

"Mucknixer, Water-hag, maybe a foglet." 

 

"Do any of those match the evidence you have so far?" 

 

Viana then tilted the head back onto the other side. Soon enough, a watery blue substance began to flow out of the tube and into the vial awaiting the other side. 

 

"Aren't you concerned that you may have cut the brain?" Eskel asked. 

 

Viana shook her head and examined the fluid as it poured into her awaiting vial. 

 

"From multiple books I've read the cerebral fluid turns green if I had struck the brain." 

 

Eskel didn't want to admit it but he was curious about Viana. She was peculiar for a noblewoman. All the ones he'd met would call him a mutant or look elsewhere. 

 

"What kind of experiment are you doing that requires this?" 

 

Viana's eyes twinkled with excitement. Viana reached over and grasped the a stood behind her and motioned for Eskel to sit. Then, she switched the vial into her other hand and rummaged through a pile of books and papers with her other. Eskel reluctantly took the seat next to her just as Viana slammed a thick tome onto his lap. 

 

"I'm so pleased you asked! You see, I plan on making a formula that can disintegrate the skin of a body without reducing the bones to ash." 

 

Eskel opened the book to see multiple experimentations with illustrations on nearly every page. A lose paper provided materials of things that were collected from monsters over time. Such as ghoul's blood, drowner brains, even as far as siren's lungs. He flipped the pages to see the failed formulas, and ones that resulted in minor explosions. 

 

"If I manage to create this formula then we wouldn't have to worry about monsters raiding graveyards, diseases spreading from corpses, and quite possibly make your job easier." 

 

With a gloved hand Vianna tapped the side of the drowner's head and watched as the last few droplets of the fluid fell into the container.,Viana held it up to the sunlight, inspected it with narrowed eyes and then promptly put the cork into the vial. 

 

Eskel had to hand it to her. He was thoroughly impressed. He hadn't met any alchemist in his travels that was doing research into creating potions like this before. Most of them were looking into age-regression or curing diseases. But with this formula, it could solve most of the problems that the world had with diseases. Not many women would be this heavily interested in things like this. Once he took his eyes off of the book in front of him he met Viana's excited gaze. Her eyes were dazzling in every sense. The shade of green reminded him of blossomed trees in the spring. Whereas he could see the brown that made the green darken just the slightest. Trees. That's what she reminded him of. Trees in a place that didn't have a Leshen crawling about. 

 

He tore his eyes away from hers and cleared his throat. Eskel stood, placing the book on the chair, and went around the other side of the table. He began to unlatch the harnesses from the drowner's wrists and ankles whilst avoiding Viana's looks at him. After a solid thirty seconds she stood up and placed her vial inside a holster that glimmered with other fluids. Quickly, he twisted the body onto its belly and retired the harnesses. He had to get going soon if he was going to make it to an inn before sundown. But...did he actually decide whether or not he was going to find the creature dwelling in the lake? 

 

"Thank you for your assistance. I'm sure that this isn't the most exciting of jobs." Viana said slowly. 

 

"I tend to keep myself on a boring path. I've never been one to do exciting things." 

 

Viana smiled at him. A warm, tender smile that he hasn't grown accustomed to seeing. 

 

"Well. I shan't keep you away from more adventures. If you have somewhere else to be then I bid you a farewell." She said curtly. 

 

In all honesty, he didn't have any other adventures. This was the first one he'd seen in a few months. Even then it was still a drowner job. Eskel wanted to leave and continue his way down to finding more jobs. But, he felt a tug here. Maybe it was because his job hadn't been completed fully. The idea of letting some being roam around and cause havoc for the farmhands or the maids--or even Viana, made his stomach turn. He could find another drowner later but for right now he had a task to complete. 

 

"As I see it. I can't just walk out and leave your farmland vulnerable to whatever creature is lurking out there--" 

 

Viana was quick to cut him off. "Does that mean you're staying? We have rooms available if it takes you longer than expected to find the beast. If you want to stay, that is." 

 

Why did Eskel find it attractive to see her mumbling over her words? He was used to regular people doing it out of fear. Viana was doing it because she was nervous. He could tell by the way her heart hammered in her chest and how red her cheeks had gotten. 

 

"I'll stay. But I don't think that your housemaid would like me staying inside your house." 

 

Viana waved a hand. "Nonsense! I shan't just have you sleep with the cattle. Not after all the help you're giving. Once I'm finished here I can escort you into the house myself." 

 

Eskel looked outside to see the sun beginning to set. He needed to go now to be able to follow those footprints clearly. He'd also needs light at his back in case whatever beast decided to come crashing out of its lair because of the dead drowners. Which, he remembered he'd forgotten to burn in his haste to get the corpse back to Viana. Eskel could almost hear Vesemir's scolding him in his head. 

 

"I'll go back to the lake and try to follow the prints I found earlier." Eskel made way for the door. 

 

"Thank you so much, master Witcher." Viana called out. 

 

The sound of her just calling him that didn't feel right. She had given him her name quickly when they had met and all he'd told her was his job description. He turned on his heel and met her warm gaze. 

 

"Eskel." 

 

Viana gave him another genuine smile. 

 

"Eskel." She said. 

 

The way his name rolled off her tongue made it sound like a harmony.


	3. Risks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eskel figures out what type of monster is dwelling within Viana's forests. Viana decides to learn more about Eskel.

He couldn't get her smile out of his head. He should have been thinking about how he was trekking into dangerous territory with an unidentified monster running lose. But he didn't.   
Instead, he was thinking about a pair of mesmerizing green eyes. And to make matters worse he was thinking about those lips. The ones that were just a breath away from his own. It was no surprise that he found her attractive...because she was. But he found it almost inconvenient that she was the employer. 

He traveled back to the point where the unfamiliar footsteps reappeared in his line of vision. Finally, something that would take his mind off of the woman. Eskel began to follow the trail of footsteps, carefully avoiding stepping over the others, while also analyzing them in size and shape. The trail ran along the bank of the lake. Had it not been for the missing drowner bodies Eskel wouldn't have noticed. There had been blood in the sand and now there was a trail of it leading into the other edge of the woods. 

"What the hell would eat drowner corpses?" 

He decided not to dwell on it since most monsters are each other. Eskel followed the blood trail that smeared into the grass and over rocks. Whatever had carried the bodies away did it by two since there were two residual stains beside each other. Which meant that the monster had carried them off by one leg in one hand. The sun was beginning to dip behind Eskel as he continued he trek. He needed to find those bodies as soon as possible to avoid disease to spread. Finally, from behind a large mounted rock Eskel found the top half of one drowner. This had been the one that he had slashed the throat of. The swollen skin that protruded from the wound in its neck proved it to be true. 

Eskel noted that the body had been torn to shreds and eaten. Bite marks were everywhere on the body. He could see how many teeth the creature had by the indentations in the skin. Nails had roughly torn the lower limbs off the body. The blood had already congealed from nature's resources. It would have had to happen just as he left the lake. So, that meant the beast was lying in wait during the time Eskel had been killing the drowners. He checked off at least four beasts that wouldn't have done the same. But still, he didn't have a solid clue of what it could be yet. He'd need to ask Viana for more information on their farm and lake.   
He stood and made his way back to the greenhouse.

It had grown dark by the time he exited the forest. Wind picked up in the trees as a cold rush of air ran along Eskel's face. He felt a storm coming by that breeze alone. Lights lit up the greenhouse and from where he stood he could make out Viana's shadow and the figure that looked to be the housemaid, Margot. 

Eskel slowed his steps and stuck to the shadows as he came closer to the greenhouse doors. He focused on the hushed voices inside of the building. 

"Your father wouldn't approve of this, Lady Viana." 

"My father isn't here, Margot." 

"This man is a Witcher. Men like that are dangerous, we cannot allow him to stay in the house." 

"You worry too much. This man is different. I won't just let him sleep in the cold, it's not right." 

"This man isn't right! He's a mutant." 

Eskel rolled his eyes. Wasn't the first time someone called him that. 

"You need to leave this between Eskel and me. Besides, shouldn't take notice on how the stable master stares at you?" 

"I will do no such--he stares?" 

Eskel smiled. She was a silver-tongued devil. Viana had managed to get Margot to forget about the topic by just mentioning the stable master. Eskel hung back against a tree and continued to listen to the conversation. 

"Indeed. Why don't you go ask him yourself?" 

"Oh, well I couldn't possibly..." Margot stammered. 

"I'm giving you the night off. Go on." 

Viana then gently pushed Margot toward the door. Eskel watched as the housemaid left the greenhouse and began to briskly walk toward the stables. She ran fingers through her dark hair and adjusted her apron before disappearing into the barn. Eskel found his way back into the greenhouse and found Viana examining two liquids. Once he came into view, Viana's eyes twinkled with excitement. 

"I'm glad you're here! I have something to show you." 

"I'm glad I caught you before you went inside. I'm gonna need more information on your property." 

"Of course." 

"How long have you lived here?" 

"Several years. I was raised most of my life here." 

"Have you had any problems with the lands before the drowners appeared?" 

"Not that I know of." 

Eskel nearly groaned. There wasn't much he could go on. He couldn't blindly go into the woods at night and lure whatever was prowling in the woods. 

"Actually. We did have a wolf problem a couple years back. The damnable things went after our chickens constantly. It wasn't until my father hired some mercenary company to dispatch the beasts that it ceased." 

Eskel looked up from his boots to where Viana had a curious look on her face. 

“No problems since then?”   
“No. I wager that their pack was slaughtered by the mercenaries.” 

“Or they found a master to feed them.” Eskel added. 

He was already knew what it could be. The farm had only been built in a few years, disturbing the peace of the forests natural flow could irritate one creature. And where one monster resided…more were to follow in the footsteps. Drowners must have caused quite a stir by living in the lake and disrupting what peace the monster in the woods had. 

“You have an idea what monster it is, don’t you?” Viana’s smile was growing by the second. 

“I haven’t seen any signs of the monster I think it could be but there’s only one way to find out if it resides in your forest.” 

“Well, don’t leave me at the edge of my seat! What could it be?” 

Viana pulled her chair up closer to her desk and propped her head on her hand. Excitement and curiosity were clear written all over her face. Eskel leaned against the side of her desk and crossed his arms. 

“A leshen.” 

Her brow furrowed. “A leshen? Did it mark someone?” 

He shook his head. “Older, male leshens tend to mark someone to remain a hold of their forests. This leshen won’t be that old to mark. But I’m sure the leshen isn’t happy that your workers and the drowners are inhabiting its territory. The drowners only appeared because they tend to follow in the footsteps of other monsters.” 

“What’s your plan to get rid of it?” 

“I can only banish it for a time. I’ll need to go find its totems, destroy them and that’ll lure it into fighting.” 

“Will we be safe once you’ve slain it?” 

“For a while but it doesn’t mean that you can’t find another Witcher when it reappears.”

“Then I’ll know the exact person to contact when that time comes.” Viana smiled up at him. 

Eskel smiled back but tore his gaze away from her to look at her alchemical set that was stretched out on the desk. 

“You said you had something to show me?” 

Viana’s eyes lightened and she stood, clearing off four books off the table she produced two vials from their stands. 

“I ran comparison tests against the drowner fluids. The spinal fluid counteracts against any venoms thus meaning that, with enough time and testing, it can be used to clear toxins from the bloodstream.” 

“Uh-huh. And the cerebral fluid?” 

“That’s the interesting part! I took a small sample and mixed it with venoms and found that it tore through most things. Burned a hole cleanly through my test-tube. Which means that the agent within the fluid is the reactant I need.” 

“What other ingredients are you going to use?” 

“Puffball, mandrake oil to keep the ingredients from exploding, and wyvern poison. But alas, I need to get to my garden by the lake to collect the ingredients.” 

“I can retrieve them for you.” 

“Nonsense. I’ll travel beside you while you go off and slay the leshen. I could also take a look at the leshen to further my studies.” 

“No. You’ll need to stay back if things get bad.” 

Viana frowned. “You may not like the idea but I can’t have you drag the body all the way here. The drowner’s corpse is stinking up my greenhouse enough.” 

It was a risk but the way she looked at him told him that this wasn’t something that was up for debate. But then again, no one could tell an alchemist to pass up and opportunity to collect samples from monsters. Which why Eskel wasn’t going to argue. 

“If you go, the second you hear yelling or I don’t come back in an hour—“ 

“I shall run straight to my house and then contact another witcher?” 

“Exactly.” 

Viana sighed and peered through the glass of her greenhouse. 

“Well, you must be ready for some food and sleep. Let me clean up here and I’ll walk you to the manor.” 

Eskel waited for nearly twenty minutes as Viana cleaned up her greenhouse. Which meant that she spent time organizing her table, categorizing her alchemical ingredients, placing books back onto their shelves and hanging up her apron. He held the door for her as they both exited the small building. Their path was lit by the lantern that Viana had hanging up beside the door. They walked in silence, weaving through the vineyard as well as avoiding full conversation. 

"I wish to know about you, Eskel." 

"Why?" Was his immediate response. 

"Tis not every day that I meet a Witcher." 

"It should stay that way." 

"Will you tell me nothing about you?" 

He didn't answer. Viana huffed in agitation. Another few steps of silence made Viana speak again. 

"How about we play a game?" 

"Not a big fan of games." 

"Don't be so broody. How about I ask a question and you can ask me the same. If we don't want to answer the question we were given we can pass the question. But only three times." 

Eskel sighed. He was going to have to play along because Viana wasn't going to keep her mouth shut forever. 

"Alright." 

"Excellent. What was the hardest fight you've ever fought?" 

Eskel didn't know the answer. It felt like every battle was hard fought if you lived through it. But the only one he had rumbling around in his head was the battle at Kaer Morhen. But that wasn't something he wanted to talk about...not since Vessemir's death was still fresh in his mind. 

"Pass. How many successful experiments have you had?" 

"Three. Do you have friends outside of your work?" 

His mind rushed to Lambert and Geralt. It felt like ages since the last time he'd seen both of those idiots. Since Ciri had been "killed" when she destroyed the curse Geralt moved with Yennefer far away from where any man dared to travel. Nonetheless, he escaped the retired life to hunt down beasts together. Lambert was still running around everywhere with Keira. Eskel didn't care enough to even ask what he'd been up to over the last few months because it would have only left the door open for Lambert to boast about his latest adventures. 

"Two best-friends. Both of which are giant pains in my ass. Family?" 

Viana looked to her hands, her face had gotten solemn. 

"Three sisters, all older than I. Where is your favorite place to seek peace?" 

Kaer Morhen was the first thing that came to mind. But he hadn't been there in a few months. The place seemed emptier without Ciri or Geralt causing havoc within the stone walls. But even then, it didn't feel quite like home. 

"Meditation. Do these sisters only stay within the house?" 

"All are married. I am the last Bucksley sister to be unmarried." 

"No one professing their love to you?" 

"No." Viana said with an eye roll. "Hey! That's two questions! Now, I can ask two." 

They were nearing the end of the vineyard and the manor was coming into view. Eskel could already see housemaids fluttering around in the kitchen. Freshly baked bread and cooked meats wafted into the air. 

"You better hurry and ask then." 

"Have you ever been in love?" 

Eskel pondered it for a moment. "Pass. Have you?" 

Viana's cheeks reddened and she played with the bracelet on her hand. Her heart rate had sped up and she heard her taking shallow breaths. 

"Once."

Open-ended answer. Something told Eskel that it wasn't a story that he'd like to hear and it wasn't due to him not caring to hear about sob stories. They finally reached to the back entrance of the manor. Viana stopped in front of the door, blocking the entrance all together. 

"Did you leave anyone behind before you came here?" 

"Pass." He said with a raised brow. 

"You're all out of passes." She said with a coy smile. 

Eskel sighed and went up to the steps, closing the space between them. Viana sucked in a breath, he felt her chest heave against his. 

"I don't have a lover, if that's what you’re trying to get out of me." 

Her eyes lifted to his. Big, mossy eyes that shined from the lanterns lighting up the entryway. She wasn't scared, that he could tell, but instead she was taking him all in. Maybe because he pulled the answer out of her or vice versa. He couldn't stay like this with her, he had a sneaking suspicion that Margot would come searching for her. Eskel turned the handle to open the door and an uneven breath escaped from Viana. She peeled her gaze away from his and entered with shaken legs. 

He smirked at her trying to regain her balance. The job he was taking was going to be risky but well-worth it. However, Eskel had a sneaking suspicion that it would be the same if he continued to flirt with the nobleman’s daughter.


	4. Killing Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eskel finally makes his trip out to kill the beast in the woods.   
> Viana tags along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments! :')

The wind was howling in Eskel’s ears as he carefully trumped back into the forest. The air smelled of pine and han fiber. He could almost smell the plants that Viana had planted in her garden. Which, he hadn’t seen even when he was fighting the drowners. But he was in the thick of battle so he could have easily missed the opportunity to look for it. 

Viana followed behind holding a basket and parts of her dress in her hand. They’d barely shared any words this morning since Margot followed and eyed Viana’s every word. Needless to say, when the two of them sat down for dinner last night Margot’s suspicions were raised a little bit higher. He could understand the caution and should have dropped the flirting act immediately…except he couldn’t. 

“When you slay the leshen do you have to burn its body?” Viana asked from behind. 

“Not usually. It’d be easier to just remove the head since their feet look like tree stumps.” 

“Speaking of feet, did you ever figure out what those other foot prints were?” 

They came to a half-submerged landing in the bog that they had crossed through. The lake was only beyond the small bog. Eskel walked all the way to the other side of the landing and held his hand out for Viana. She slowly placed a foot on the landing and wobbled slightly, her hand caught his and he pulled her all the way onto the raft. 

“Have any unnatural mists come here?” He asked. 

Viana slowly walked across the landing, her hand now clutching Eskel’s with an alarmingly tight grip. One small step could have her toppling into tons of mud…wouldn’t that be a sight? Viana held her other arm out to steady herself. 

“No.” 

That immediately ruled out any foglets. He still had his theory of any water hags roaming about but what would draw them to this small plain of land? He felt the landing shift beneath his feet suddenly and turned in time to see Viana wobbling. Her foot had slipped off the landing. 

With quick thinking, Eskel reached out and caught her waist before pulling her up against his chest. She hit against him with a thud and pressed her boots into the landing once again. Eskel could feel her hands digging into the back of his forearms. She heaved a sigh of relief before looking at him. 

He felt that pull draw him in again. Every time they had gotten this close he could feel himself wanting to melt within the moment…or maybe just her. He cleared his throat and looked to where both of their feet had balanced back onto the landing. 

“Not very good at balancing, hmm?” Eskel grinned. 

Viana released her death grip on his arms and adjusted the basket on her arm. Eskel’s lips cracked into a mischievous grin when he could see the blush on her face. He walked off the landing, with natural ease, and took Viana’s waiting hand to help her off as well. 

“Show off.” She huffed.   
They walked further before pushing through the thicket that led straight to the lake. Viana nearly ran toward a small garden that had been planted on the other side of the small lake. Eskel watched as she began picking all sorts of roots and plants from the garden. He joined up with her quickly and eyed the area around them. 

“Well? What are you waiting for?” 

“Remember—“ 

“Go running straight out of the woods once you don’t come back or a giant creature appears from beyond the trees. I’m not a child.” 

“A child would have been more complacent.” 

“You and I both have skewed visions of how children are.” Viana said looking up from her garden. 

“Promise me that you’ll start running in case I don’t come back.” 

“I promise that I will run for the high heavens. Satisfied?” 

Eskel blinked at her with an unimpressed look. He’d seen too many bodies of women or children not fleeing in time. He’d seen bodies where they didn’t have enough time even to breathe before a monster descended on them. Too many people not going back to their loved one because of one scared straight reaction. He wanted to make sure that Viana (or himself) wasn’t going to be part of the causalities. 

“I’ll be satisfied once the leshen is dead.” 

“Go poke it with something sharp, then. Don’t forget to call for me once you’ve done so.” 

“Couldn’t you tell me what you need from the leshen’s corpse?” 

“That would be too easy for you.” 

Eskel groaned and Viana stuck her tongue out at him in reply. She turned back to her garden and Eskel started trekking into the other side of the forest. He unsheathed his silver sword and inspected the dried oil that glimmered off the sword. The relic oil wasn’t the strongest and he didn’t have any ingredients that could make it any stronger. He was going to make due with Igni and the oil he had on him. 

Eskel neared into the middle of the woods and began to listen to the woods. He tossed out all thoughts and ignored all the other sounds of animals. Instead, he waited to hear for the signature sound of branches snapping, or wolves running through the green grasses. He focused on the drawing sounds that came rolling in waves. 

The totems that the leshen had laid out were strong in magicks but not strong enough to obliterate. Eskel followed the sounds of whispers to the east, where the totems would most likely be, and trailed it slowly. A leshen’s magic was strong, depending on their age, and how long they had dwelled inside the forest. 

The noise coming from the totems was lulled…almost murmured by the how young the leshen must be. Finding the totems while the magic was weak like this reminded Eskel of trying to weave through a maze while being drunk. Which sounded a lot better compared to what Eskel was currently doing now. 

Finally the whispering became louder like incessant talking inside a room. Within a few more steps Eskel had emerged into the woodland area with trees strewn about. Luckily for him all three of the totems were spread about in front of him. Eskel dispatched them quickly with Aard. Shortly after destroying the last one Eskel heard the sounds of snarling in the distance. 

He spun his sword around in his grip and turned to the noise. Where sounds of wolves came from, the thunderous steps of a leshen followed. He could hear the wolves running toward the clearing, he could hear multiple sets of paws digging into the dirt. Eskel grimaced with closed eyes, he was going to have a battle to defeat a whole pack of wolves. 

Eskel snapped out of his senses when the wolves raced into the clearing. The wolves circled around him predatorily, their muzzles twisted up into a snarl and their eyes glowing red in the shade. Eskel noticed how well-fed they looked compared to regular wolves that looked ganglier. It proved his theory that the leshen had led the pack to the drowner corpses. 

Eskel heard a wolf’s position shift from behind him. He twisted just in time and sliced through the ribs of one. He sent a blast of fire from his hands and the five wolves leapt away. He only had a few seconds before they would start to throw themselves at him. Eskel squared his shoulders, planted his feet into the ground and drove his fist into the grass. 

A ball of telekinetic energy bubbled around his legs and up to his chest and neck. He concentrated on the strength of the sphere around him, harnessing the energy he built inside of it. Eskel could hear the wolves beginning to shift into their defensive stances. The rest of his sphere submerged his head, he heard them snarl. 

The wolves lunged at Eskel and he released his fist. The ball burst around him and he felt the whoosh as the blast he had been building sent waves of force shooting right back into the pack. Eskel rolled and drove his sword into the wounded wolves. They were too dizzy to fight back and Eskel had grown too tired to play a waiting game. 

The wolves had been knocked unconscious by the force of the blast, making Eskel’s job easier to plunge his blades into their chests. Once that was all finished, he heard the sounds of branches snapping and felt thunderous steps shake the ground beneath his feet. Eskel looked to see the leshen poke its head out from the thicket halfway across from it. 

He gritted his teeth, his hand already began to thrum with flames that were ready to be unleashed. The leshen disappeared beyond two trees just before appearing at the edge of the clearing. Eskel’s grip on his sword tightened and he began moving his feet into his fighting stance. 

The leshen didn’t strike, but instead, it lifted its hand. To his right, roots of the trees around his begun to rip from the ground. Eskel dove as one branch sprung forth from the grass, he rolled and avoided the sharpened wood pieces. The idea of being stabbed by a tree wasn’t thrilling. The leshen began to move with calm, relaxed steps toward him. 

Eskel continued to roll and slash through each of the vines that burst from nearly everywhere. He had remembered why he hated leshen’s so much. They were mythical beings that played dirty, it goes to show that even monsters mimicked mere mortals. 

Eskel dodged another slap of a vine only to have something wrap around his ankle. He looked down and saw a branch had curled around his ankle, he tried to yank his foot free only to fail. Eskel whipped his blade around to slash at the vines but another branch wrapped around his wrist. Pressure built in his wrist, forcing him to drop the silver sword on the ground. 

More branches pinned him in place as the leshen tilted its head at him. He hoped that the leshen couldn’t sense that he was a mortal. Upon coming closer to Eskel, he was right to see that the leshen was young. It was nearly a century old but still strong. A branch wrapped around his waist and squeezed, making his breathing shallow. 

Eskel didn’t struggle for two reasons:   
One. It was to avoid from being crushed alive in an instant. The leshen would want to have the joy of killing him with its own hands.   
Two. He wanted the leshen to believe that he was a mere human that had come to destroy its sanctuary. 

The leshen came close enough to nearly sniff him. Eskel struck then, he sent a blast of fire into the leshen’s face. He heard it roar with pain and anger and stumble backwards. The vines unleashed Eskel of his binds and he hit the ground. His hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword. Eskel took off in a sprint as the fire continued to roast through the bones and branches of the leshen’s body. 

Eskel swung his sword upwards and slashed across the neck of the leshen. Before he could lay another strike the leshen struck a hand out and a root burst from the dirt, throwing Eskel against a tree. He heard his ribs snap against the force. He let out a grunt and concentrated on his breathing as he slowly stood back up. 

Green blood dripped from the leshen’s chest. Eskel nearly sighed in relief seeing that he had weakened the damnable thing. Eskel picked up his sword, he ignored the pain in his chest and made his way toward the monster. The leshen’s skull was now covered in scorch marks and blood still increasingly fell from the wound he’d inflicted. 

“Be a good monster and die quickly.” Eskel growled. 

The leshen’s head swiveled slowly back to Eskel. It lifted a shaking hand and the ground rumbled beneath Eskel’s feet. Birds flung from their nests and soared in the opposite direction. In one small second, his hearing centered in on roots snapping. 

Eskel shot his own hand forward and blocked the incoming slam of roots bursting at his feet. The branches bounced off his barrier only to slam against it again and again. It wasn’t until Eskel swung his word and seared through the branches limbs that he removed the shield. 

“Gotta be quicker than that.” 

Both Eskel and the leshen sprinted towards one another. Eskel gritted his teeth and pressed his feet firmly into the ground just as it struck its arm out. He dodged the attack and sliced his blade through the leshen’s leg. It howled above him so loudly that the trees groaned in pain. Eskel ripped himself off the ground and sent his foot slamming into the back of the monster. 

The leshen stumbled onto its knees with another groan. Eskel took his opportunity and swung his blade up and over his head before he cleaved it through the air and sliced through the stump-like legs of the leshen. He drowned out anymore noises that spilled from its mouth, only he could hear his own breathing. His own concentration as he lifted his blade and then plunged it deeply through its wooden back. 

The monster went rigid, more seconds ticked by and Eskel only heard his heart pounding in his ears. He could see the wood burning at the touch of the silver and oil on its wooden limbs. It raised a large hand to its chest and finally went slack. Eskel ripped the blade out and walked backwards watching as the leshen finally fell backwards into the ground. 

Sweat poured off his forehead and he braced his hands on his knees for a moment. The area had gone silent, the wind had turned into a slow breeze that wafted silently through the leaves. The air had become less thick and instead begun to smell like han fiber again. Eskel stood back up, whistled loudly before sheathing his blade back at his back. 

A few minutes later, Viana came strolling out with her basket nearly full of different alchemical plants. She popped a head from around a tree, her eyes widening on the corpse of the leshen. 

“I wouldn’t have whistled if I didn’t kill the damn thing.” Eskel huffed while wiping his sweat off with a cloth. 

“I’m being cautious. I could hear the fighting all the way from the lake. Sounds like you had quite the battle.” 

“Well, it wasn’t easy.” 

Viana tucked her dress underneath her legs as she kneeled before the leshen’s body. Blood had already begun to pool into the dirt. Viana began to rip off samples from the corpse. Carefully, she shaved thin pieces of wood from its legs, one giant piece from the other, and then worked on its fingers. 

“Shit. The blood has nearly drained from its body.” 

“Do you need more blood?” 

“Yes. I’ll need to run some tests on—“ 

In one motion, Eskel had unsheathed his blade and heaved it over his head before cutting through the leshen’s head. Viana cringed away from the blade and held her arms to her face as the blood rushed out from the neck of the monster. 

“Take your sample.” He shrugged. 

Viana held a weary gaze and reluctantly took out a glass jar from her bag. While the jar filled with the blood, Viana began sorting the samples into their containers. It was only the hunk of the leg that she placed into the basket. She collected bone fragments from the arms, wood from the legs, moss from its chest, mushroom caps from its shoulders and then finally a piece of jawbone from its mouth. 

Eskel could see she was containing all of her excitement as they walked back from the woods. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Viana had begun to rifle through her basket of ingredients, a huge grin on her face. They came toward the end of the lake and Eskel heard something rifle from beyond the thicket. 

He held out a hand to stop Viana from moving. He could hear groaning and hissing from beyond it. It didn’t belong to any snake or woodland creature. Eskel grasped the crossbow on his back, loaded an explosive bolt into it and aimed into the thicket. 

“Cover your ears.” He whispered. 

Viana silently obeyed. 

Eskel saw a grey face appear from the thicket and pressed the trigger. The arrow cut through the air and plunged into the skull of the water-hag from the bush. He watched as the bolt detonated sending a blast of grave hag parts all over the thicket and onto the sand before them. Viana removed her hands from her ears and looked to Eskel. 

“Do you have any more damn monsters that I don’t know about?” Eskel said turning to her. 

“I think Margot is a higher vampire.” 

“I’m going to kill you and use your own head as payment.” He warned. 

Viana rolled her eyes and stepped away from the bush before handing Eskel her basket. 

“No.” He immediately said. 

“The body is already here, Eskel. I might as well just collect the samples now.” 

If he stayed in these woods for any longer, he might actually go crazy.


	5. Success

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viana finally prepares for her experiment while Eskel stays back to watch.

Eskel could feel it the second they’d gotten back to the manor. Disappointment. He’d felt within every step he took as they steadily walked to the greenhouse. He’d slayed all the beasts, finished his contract and gotten the gold. Yet, here he walked and feeling like he hadn’t done a thing. Even with the coin that jingled in his bag. By the time they reached the greenhouse, a seed of regret had taken root inside himself. 

“Will you stay a little longer?” Viana asked at the entrance of the greenhouse. 

“I should be going.” No. He wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. 

“I’m on the cusp of discovery and I’m sure that I’ll find the answer if you stay.” 

He should have left. He should have camped out in the woods and slayed the leshen the same day and burned the drowner bodies. He should have never gotten to be this close to someone that was so dazzling in every way. It was a lot of should have’s but he still stood with his feet digging into the ground. 

“I’ll stay, then.” 

Viana made no motion to hide the relief on her face nor the fact that she stared at him like no one else had before. His gut twisted tightly at the sight. She was a curiosity, what about her made him stay? He hadn’t met any woman before that stared at him the way she did right now. Like he was something other than a monster or a freak. 

“How are your ribs?” 

Considering he hadn’t breathed since she first asked him to stay, he could say they were doing well. That wasn’t the case, however. He was going to need to meditate to give the injuries time to heal. But, maybe he wouldn’t need to if Viana could brew him a Swallow potion. 

“I’ll live but I may need you to brew me a witcher potion.” 

“Gladly.” 

~ 

It took her half an hour to create the swallow. The potion was still warm by the time she had encased the brew into a glass. He’d given her the recipe as well as the instructions, while she did that he meditated to pass the time and further his healing. 

But not even clearing his head could stop him from opening an eye to watch as Viana brewed the potion and eyed his diagram with a cautious eye. It was quite fascinating to watch someone else brew a witcher potion. He hadn’t seen excitement like that, ever. 

When he’d taken the potion, he had made a face that had Viana looking back to the diagram. 

“Did I mess it up?” 

“No.” He coughed and his ribs ached. “Swallow tastes like chalk and hard whiskey.”   
“I’m sure it tastes like drinking fire to non-Witchers.” 

“If you survive for the after effects of it.” 

Warmth flooded his veins and he made another grimace. The warmth would last about two minutes and he’d be up and running again. The world shifted slightly, the pain evaporated from his chest and arms. He could feel the skin stitching itself back together inch by inch. It never ceased to unnerve him by feeling it. It was worse to watch while it happened. 

“While you’re healing I will begin to start my experiment.” 

Viana began to pull items off her shelves piece by piece. Eskel noticed that she had full jars filled with eyes of foglets, brains of drowners, siren’s lungs and even as far to have a fiend’s horn. How she would have gotten a hold of such a thing was the curious bit. 

“Where do you get these ingredients?” 

Viana smirked and begun to sort vials out of their containers. “An alchemist never shares their trade secrets.” 

“Got a theory of what ingredients you’re going to use?” 

“Mandrake oil, basilisk poison, drowner cerebral fluid and if I don’t get the reaction I need then I’ll resort to use foglet poison to strengthen the toxicity.” 

Impressed. He was so thoroughly impressed by her mastery in alchemy that maybe even Vessemir would have clapped in approval. 

“You know, I don’t meet very many female alchemists.” 

“Is that supposed to be an insult?” Viana said swirling a blue fluid around in the sunlight. 

“I mean that being an alchemist is a dangerous field.” 

“Wouldn’t you say the same thing about being a Witcher?” She asked removing her eyes from the vial in her hand. 

Eskel merely smiled at her. She was now using that wit and cunning on him now. He had hit a nerve, something that was buried deeply within her. Something that she completely refused to show or tell anyone. 

“Do your experiments keep you away from going off with a husband of some sort?” 

Viana’s eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head. “I’m a busy woman and I don’t find husband-hunting exciting.” 

"Is that why you haven’t?" 

Dangerous waters. Full, tall waves of dangerous water he was wading through. He couldn’t stop his mouth from moving or control the questions that poured forth from it. It was one of those things where he’d wished he’d cut out his own tongue. 

Viana scoffed. 

"Did you notice from the paintings in the house that I had two older sisters?" 

Eskel shook his head. 

"Yes. They both believed that a woman’s purpose is to marry, rear children and then spend money lavishly.” She made a face at her own words. 

"And that made you become an alchemist?" 

Viana shucked off a layer from the mandrake root she had. 

"One year, I broke my leg. My father was keen on not hiring a Mage so he went and got an alchemist. There was only so much they could do to set the break and then apply poultices. But, the alchemist was kind enough to tell me all about his studies and training to become one while he bandaged my leg. For three days I learned all about roots, leaves, types of bark. After he left, I began to study all sorts of sciences. It wasn't until I had made a fertilizer bomb that I realized I had found my calling card." 

"A fertilizer bomb?" 

"It's a fertilizer gas that resides in a glass bottle. Once you throw the bottle, the gas spreads to plants while also melting the glass." The smile returned to her lips. 

"Ah.” 

"Do you...do you like being a Witcher?" Viana asked. 

Eskel noticed that her movements to boil the mandrake root had paused. He couldn't blame her. She'd asked an intimate question. One that no one really cared about asking in the first place. Eskel had to think about the answer, at anyone he would have given them a smart remark. But, Viana asked because she truly cared to know his honest answer. 

"It's not a life that that I would have picked." 

Viana's eyes shifted to the stem and flask she held in her hand. He could sense disappointment. 

"I see." 

"But coming from someone that sees destruction. I can say that I'd rather have this life than nothing at all." 

Viana placed the root on a burner and turned to Eskel. She didn't have to ask before her snapped his fingers and flames began to burn the kindling. Viana's hands returned to the wyvern poison and she begun to measure out the single doses. 

"Looks like you and I are kindred spirits. We were both forced into things that we didn't originally want." 

Eskel remained silent and continued to watch as she brewed her concoctions. The mandrake roots oils dropped from the strainer. Viana carefully poured the cerebral fluid in with the oils. She added four drops of basilisk’s venom. She took a step back and watched as a small red cloud puffed from the tube. Eskel snapped his fingers and extinguished the flame while Viana lifted it off the burner. 

"Now, I will add it onto the drowner corpse that is stinking up my lab." She said with a scrunched nose. 

Eskel followed her as she went to the chair that the drowner had been strapped to. Viana took a deep breath and then poured the formula over the drowner’s body. Eskel watched as the thick, red oil seeped into the skin. The pores seemed to open at the substance and completely dissolve into the skin. 

"Now, a bit of fire..." 

Eskel obliged and sent a small blast of fire onto the corpse. He waited for a minute but then heard the blood boiling inside the corpse. He might as well hear a dynamite’s fuse light up. The skin even began to bubble beneath the surface. 

He reacted quickly, he tackled Viana to the ground and covered her head just as the corpse body imploded. Eskel felt a gush of wind run through his hair. Surprisingly enough, he didn't feel any flames lash on him or gasses fill his senses. Instead, he only smelled verbena and lavender.

It was Viana's perfume that she put on her neck that his face was now buried in. When he lifted his head he found her looking back at him. She had a timid blush on her face but nonetheless stared at him in a way that made his stomach clench. 

He should have moved. 

Eskel knew that he had to move away from Viana. He also knew that he could have left as soon as he’d gotten the second payment for the beasts. But instead, he continued to stare at her in a way that reassured him that he made the right decision. He couldn’t have left if he wanted to. 

Viana reached up slowly and her hand touched the side of his face. He felt her thumb trace down one of his scars. There was no fear in her eyes nor was there a sense of nervousness. He didn’t slap her hand away nor scowl at her attempt. 

He wouldn't let anyone do this. No one dared to, and yet, a simple woman dared to. And he let her. Her thumb had sent tingles down the sides of his face. He felt her descent stop just above the scars on his lips. He didn’t break his gaze but Viana’s eyes moved to his lips. 

He felt and heard her heart beat quicken. Her thumb continued to trail down to his lower lip and he heard her breath hitch. Eskel leaned in to her touch just slightly but it was enough for her hand to snake around his neck and into his hair. Her eyes closed and her head tilted upwards.   
His first thought was about how much trouble this was going to be. But, it sounded better than not doing anything worthwhile and he hadn’t done that in a long time. Eskel pressed his elbows into the ground and bent forward to meet her lips.

CLANK. 

Both of their eyes opened and in unison their heads rolled to the surgery table. Bones began falling through the crevices of the table. Bones that nearly glimmered from being so white. Eskel saw a rib cage and pelvis bone stay into the table. But the small bones had fallen through the slats. Which only meant that Viana's formula had worked. He felt her gasp with shock and moved away quickly. Viana stood and touched the bones with a gloved hand. 

"It...worked?" She breathed. 

She turned to Eskel with eyes shimmering with tears. She held a patella in her gloved hand but Eskel only noticed the huge grin on her face. 

"It worked! I mean, it sort of worked but nonetheless!" She said nearly squealing. 

She dropped the bone and hugged him tightly. Eskel was frozen in place for a second, surprise and awe were written all over his features as he hugged her back. Her heart was ramming against his own chest. She lifted her head, a tear rolled down her cheek. Eskel quickly brushed it away and smiled at her. 

"You did it." 

Viana was still in his arms and she shook her head. As if she was almost dismissing this as a dream. Her eyes were on the table for the fleetest of moments before her green eyes had met his. 

"I owe you...so much." She whispered. 

Suddenly, Viana surged forward and caught Eskel's lips. He nearly froze in place with shock. Eskel reacted instantaneously, his hands caught her hips. His head tilted to the side and deepened the kiss. Viana gasped against his mouth and he swallowed the gasp. Her fingers tangled in his hair and her chest crushed to his.

A shiver ran down his spine and he backed her up. His hands ran along her back, each lace string tested his self-control. Viana backed up into her desk, Eskel's hands gripped the table and his tongue plunged into her mouth. 

He stayed like that with her. Both of them not getting enough of the feel of their lips moving or the way that they tasted. He couldn't get enough not when kissing her made him forget everything that haunted his thoughts. Instead his head was filled with just HER, and only her. The way she smelled, tasted and how he felt her moving against his chest. 

It had been the first time, in a long time, that he had forgotten about his pains and worries. He wouldn't have traded it for anything else.


	6. Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eskel returns to Viana after several weeks away and makes a startling discovery.

The sun was just beginning to rise as Eskel stood outside with Viana. It burned him up something fierce to leave now. Especially when something was definitely blooming between them. He didn’t say much, due to the fact that he was never a man for words. Viana’s skin nearly shimmered from the rising sun, green eyes glowing from the sunlight. 

“So, when shall I expect your return?” 

He chuckled, his thumb stroking tenderly across her knuckles. “I’ll write to you once my next job is finished.” 

“Will you then take me on adventures?” She grinned up at him. 

This was quite possibly maybe the dumbest thing he’d done…more or less so. This was one dangerous pairing but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t just leave her, not when she had shown him more kindness than anyone else had in years. 

His life was decided for him since he was thrown into Vessemir’s hands. He’d been transformed and turned into something that wasn’t made for a happy ending. Most Witchers died alone or left someone behind while walking the Path. A path that he was forced to follow. 

Yet, Geralt had found his happy ending. He had his cozy home in Toussaint with Yennefer, he was probably getting fat on all their wine and being lazy in the warm sun. Eskel hadn’t imagined that any Witcher would get the lifestyle that Geralt was given. 

Viana stood in front of him, and it felt like he could see that happening to him. He would keep his skills honed and have a curious alchemist on his side and they’d wander lands. Why it sounded like paradise eluded him. Eskel couldn’t care less, the dream was branded into his brain now and he’d damn everything else to get to that dream. 

“We’ll go on as many precarious adventures as you want.” It was his turn to smile at her. 

Her cheeks reddened, eyes falling to the ground. “I like that smile of yours. You should smile more.” 

Eskel caught her cheek and tilted her head back up to him. He wasn’t expecting to say anything mushy or completely vomit inducing but the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could fully stop them. 

“For you, I will.” 

Viana let out a laugh, giving him a gentle shove. “That was so unbelievably clichéd. Even for you, Eskel.” 

“Would you rather I continue being a grump?” His face melted back into a look of irritation. 

“I prefer both but you do have a way to melt a woman’s heart.” She said with an eye-roll. 

He was going to miss bickering with her once he left. The woman packed quite a punch with her words alone. Good. He needed someone to kick his ass around The Continent. He wouldn’t mind it being Viana that would do the kicking. 

Eskel pressed his lips to Viana’s, tasting her one last time before he’d have to leave. Heat radiated along his skin, warming his body and quite possibly melting his brain. Viana melted into his embrace, her hands braced at his arms while she deepened the kiss with the tilt of her head. 

He was definitely going to miss this. The feel of her body against his chest, the way her lips felt against his own and the calming sound of her heart beating. He could have had cold water splashed on his head and steam would have surfaced from it. Viana pulled away and let out an uneven breath. 

“My, my. You do know how to kiss, don’t you?” 

“I’ve had some training sessions in.” He said pulling her back into his chest. 

“And I’m sure there will be plenty more once you return. However, time is not on our side and you must make haste so you can come back quicker.” 

“Aren’t Witchers supposed to be the ones that do the abandoning?” 

“There is no abandoning. You’re coming back and if you don’t then I’ll have a serious problem.” 

“Gonna fight a Witcher?” 

“I’ll have to make something that will stun you long enough for me to get a good hit or two in.” She feigned an exasperated sigh. 

Eskel threw his head back and laughed. Oh yes, he knew that everyone would approve of this alchemist marching around the halls of Kaer Morhen. She was definitely the type of woman that wouldn’t let Lambert (or Keira) stomp all over her. 

Nonetheless, she was right. Time wasn’t on their side and he had to get some more coin in before he’d come back and settle in with Viana in Kaer Morhen for the winter. He had to be quick with the jobs he’d take before winter decided to freeze over the entire lands. And if it was going to be a long winter like he was expecting then he was going to need every damn coin. 

“Write me as soon as you get a chance. I am not some lovesick puppy…” Eskel didn’t have a chance to object before Viana cut back in. “But I would like you to write so I know you’re doing well.” 

“I can do that.” 

Viana nodded at him, pressing another small kiss to his lips. 

“I’ll see you in a few weeks.” Viana backed up and made her way backwards to her greenhouse. 

“In a few weeks, Vi.” 

Eskel finally turned and left Viana watching him as he left. The hole in his heart grew bigger and bigger with each step that he took. He could feel a nervous knot forming in his stomach and his mind was nearly screaming to stay back. 

Viana’s father would be back any day and if he saw that he still had a witcher on his grounds then he’d know that something was up. It wouldn’t bother Viana in the slightest, the woman could care less about what type of rumors were flown around. But it was Eskel that worried, he didn’t want to have any sort of rumor thrust upon her. He didn’t like to think of what her father would do if he found out about her fraternizing with a Witcher. 

Maybe that’s what caused the knot in his stomach or the uneasiness he felt. But even with that, there was something that was off. Something that made him want to just stay a little bit longer. He worried too much, and he was quite sure that it would the death of him one day. He turned his head back and saw Viana wave at him one last time. 

He kept that vision of her in his head as he rode out to the next town. The picture of a quirky alchemist that had managed to melt the ice that had formed around him. A simple woman was capable of doing that and maybe that’s why the next fight he had, he fought a little harder. Because there was someone waiting for him. For once. 

~ 

He had returned nearly a month later. His riding bags heavy with coin that he’d gotten from the jobs he’d taken on. And crushed under all the coin was four letters from Viana that updated him on any experiments and her process with her Decay potion. She had made the decision to keep it a secret to her family, waiting for an opportunity to sell it once she’d finally be freed of her nobility. 

And just like that, he’d come to rescue her away from all of it. The last four weeks had been battle after battle. Doing good in towns that didn’t thank him, earning heinous remarks from humans as he took their coin. Most days it felt like he should have doubled his price with every remark he heard on his travels. 

If he did that, he would have been able to repair and furnish all of Kaer Morhen. 

Eskel rolled up to the house to only see multiple carriages posted outside the residence. A familiar gut wrench had him sliding off of Scorpion and following the line of carriages. People loitered through the double doors, all wearing black and talking in hushed whispers. 

Viana hadn’t mentioned anything about this. She didn’t say anything about a party being thrown during the house. But then again, this party was livelier than all the ones he’d heard of. No music was playing, only whispers filled the silence in the foyer. 

He didn’t notice anyone going silent as he went through the house, looking for what the reason for all the melancholy in the entire mansion. White roses were scattered all over the main floor of the home, candles were lit along the walls. He looked for Viana’s face in the crowds, or some kind of semblance that Viana was there. 

Where was she? 

His numbing walk had him going right into Thomas Bucksley’s private office. Thomas Bucksley stood at the window, hands at his back and staring out the window. He didn’t move at the sound of the door closing on Eskel’s entrance.   
“I feared the day you’d return, witcher.” Thomas said turning around to face him. “Viana spoke highly about you when I returned. I didn’t learn that you two shared a connection until…” His words seemed to trail off as his eyes flickered to a portrait. 

Eskel followed the gaze to a painted portrait of Viana. She sat in a chair and her chin was raised high but her eyes stared at the artist, green eyes tearing through anyone that looked in the picture. Eskel barely noticed the small plaque beneath it. And there he could see something he wished he hadn’t. 

Her birth year…and her death date. 

No. 

But rage and fury consumed him. What could he have missed? What could have possibly happened to her in his absence? It was nearly impossible.

“Bandits…attacked the house a week ago. They slaughtered the guards and wreaked havoc in the house. I had tried to stop them, only to get beaten into unconsciousness. Margot guarded Viana as they fled for the greenhouse. Margot was killed with an arrow into the back, Viana had made it into the greenhouse…only for them to set it on fire.” 

All the chemicals. 

It had been suicide as soon as she entered into the greenhouse. The chemicals created an explosive reaction and took her with it. The anger burned through his self-control and Eskel moved forward, flipping the Thomas’s desk before taking the man by the lapels and slamming him into the wall. 

“Why didn’t you protect her?” 

Thomas broke apart the second that his back hit the wall. Tears poured out of his eyes and his body went slack. The lord he had met two months ago had disappeared and Eskel only held up a husk of what he used to be. Eskel held him upright, unwilling to let Thomas fall into a crumpled pile. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. 

“I tried. I tried but I couldn’t protect her.” 

“YOU LET HER DIE.” Eskel roared, slamming him into the wall again. 

Thomas let out a loud sob. The entire mansion could hear it but it was only the door opening that Eskel turned his head. Three women in black stood, their eyes blood shot and full of concern. Eskel’s heart snapped inside of his chest. They were Viana’s sisters, he knew it from the pictures on the walls in the home. 

“Please…do not hurt him.” One with black hair spoke softly. 

“We cannot lose anyone else.” The other, with the same green eyes that Viana has—had—, begged. 

Eskel willed himself to drop Thomas’s body. This isn’t what Viana would have wanted. She wouldn’t have wanted for him to threaten her father or scare her sisters senseless. But he couldn’t control the rage inside him. He had to do something, anything that could make the pain in his chest cease. 

He moved away from Thomas and walked out of the room, not giving the three sisters another look as he barreled out of the house. He was halfway to Scorpion before he heard someone running up from behind him. Eskel whirled around only to watch as a woman slipped and fell to the ground. He noticed her as the third sister, looking like the third oldest of the three. 

She had light brown hair and dark blue eyes. Eskel moved toward her and she held a hand up, rising up on her legs to plant herself upright. 

“If you want to avenge my sister, her killers reside on the outskirts of the town. They stole a unique statue from us and mounted it at their camp. Once you find the statue, you will find the bandits. I pray that you will not give them any mercy since they granted my sister none.”

No one else was going to be brave enough to go into this bandit camp. Truthfully, no one could probably survive from it. But he could, and he wasn’t going to leave any survivors. He could see the hatred plain on her sister’s face. He was going to do just more than avenge Viana, he was going to make a damn massacre of that sight. 

Maybe the sister could see that on his face because she nodded at him and then walked back into the house. He didn’t know why she would have cared but maybe she knew something that he didn’t. Maybe that sister concealed more rage than sadness. Whatever it was, he was using this information. 

Eskel climbed back onto Scorpion and unsheathed his steel sword.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for not updating sooner!   
> I have been busy with uni and working.   
> Also, I've been playing Assassins Creed: Syndicate and I'm definitely going to write something on THAT.


	7. Kovir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eskel hears news that shakes everything he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and the kudos!   
> It really helps and I love waking up to them!

-Five Months Later- 

Eskel sat in Kaer Morhen, sticking by the fire while the winter storm bit and froze everything within its grasp. He kept the book he was reading on the table while he poked around his food with a fork. Ciri sat beside him, inhaling every bit of food and ae in front of her. Geralt and Yennefer stood off to the corner silently arguing over something. Eskel just assumed whatever it was that it was Geralt’s fault on default. 

“Anything exciting happen this last year, Eskel?” Ciri asked through a mouth full of food. 

He looked up from his book and shrugged. It had been the same thing he’d always done. Simple jobs all around, drowners here and maybe some sort of griffin haunting the skies. Things had been back to normal since…

“Usual routine, drowners and keeping the peace.” He grumbled and turned back to his book. 

Ciri huffed beside him and scooted closer. She propped her head on her hand before poking him in the arm several times. 

“Nothing interesting?” 

She was going to prod and poke until he’d have welts but he wasn’t going to divulge anything. And it wasn’t because it wasn’t any of her business, because the wounds of his last year were still raw and he still ached from the inside out. 

“Nope.” 

Ciri opened her mouth, probably to snoop some more but was cut off once the doors to the front burst open. All heads turned to where Keira came stomping in with Lambert lazily strolling behind her. Lambert was sporting quite the shit-eating grin whereas Keira looked like she was going to conjure up the next war. 

“Did she even know who she was talking to? ME! A sorceress!” Keira seethed. 

“You’re just pissy because she refused you.” 

If Keira had ever set someone on fire by just looking at someone then Lambert was surely going to be the first victim. Eskel was still surprised that the two of them hadn’t killed each other yet. Then again, maybe their heads were too busy with their selfishness and gloating to argue. Lambert seemed to be entertained by the shit-storm that was brewing above Keira’s head. 

“I could have flayed her alive! The GALL of that woman!” 

Geralt and Yennefer had piped down and began wandering in to hear the fighting. Moths attracted to the flame, everyone was seeing how long it would take before they realized the flame was attached to a bomb. Eskel was more than enthralled because Keira’s anger meant that she was going to tear Lambert a new one then he could have sat there all night. 

Someone had the nerve to refuse a sorceress which happened to be Keira Metz? Blasphemy.   
“What’s the dilemma this time, Keira?” Yennefer sighed. 

Keira’s head rolled around to blink at Yennefer. “I went to go see an alchemist in Kovir that had made an alchemical breakthrough. I went to congratulate—“ 

“You went to steal the formula, Keira.” Lambert interjected. 

“I’m shocked.” Geralt said with feigned surprise. 

“As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted,” Keira launched a withering glare at Lambert. “I went in to congratulate such a scientist to create such a potent formula. I asked her what she used to create this concoction and she REFUSED me!” 

“That’s the thing about alchemists, they don’t tend to just hand out their formulas.” 

“I’m a sorceress!” 

“With a bitchy attitude. Which came out once you didn’t get your way and got us thrown out of the store.” 

“SHE SAID NO. I asked politely—“ 

Everyone scoffed in the room. Keira doesn’t ask nicely, she conjures up plans and schemes to get what she wants. The words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ were foreign in her mind. 

“What is so grand about this formula?” Ciri inquired. 

“The formula can disintegrate the skin of a corpse yet leave the bones intact.” 

Eskel froze completely still. He felt his blood turn to ice and his heard the pounding of his heart in his ears. There was no way…there was no actual way. 

Ciri noticed the movement but kept her eyes peeled on Kiera. 

“What would you want with it?” 

“To better the formula, of course. I could create mixture that could disintegrate an entire army with it.” Keira said nonchalantly. 

“Just an entire army, I see no problem there.” Yennefer spat. The woman was her own kind of beast, the kind that spat venom that could destroy you from in the inside out. 

There was no way, no one else would know what alchemical formulas to use like…this couldn’t be right. But he had to do something, he couldn’t just sit here and try to put two and two together. 

“This woman, she’s in Kovir? Doing what?” Eskel asked. 

“She has her own shop and laboratory on the kill that leads toward the palace. It’s along the main hub, she sells herbs and—“ 

Eskel stopped listened. He got up from his seat, grasped his blades off the table and began striding out of the dining hall. Everyone had gone silent at his sudden departure except for Ciri who was already bouncing behind him quietly. 

It was impossible. It was so completely impossible and illogical and crazy of him to do this. There was a funeral and everything for her. He’d slain the bandits that wept at his feet for mercy and begged for forgiveness for killing an innocent woman. He’d seen the wreckage that was left of the greenhouse, the burnt ground and charred books and shelves from within. All signs that pointed to her demise. 

But he just had to go see for himself. 

He made it halfway through the courtyard before Ciri cut off his march with a quick side step. She had a gleeful expression on her face as she blocked his path. 

“So…?” She trailed off, expecting an explanation. 

She wasn’t going to get one. 

“I’m going hunting.” 

Ciri gasped and slammed a hand over her chest. “It hurt my ears and my heart to hear such an awful lie come from your mouth.” She sighed. 

What did he want to tell her? That a woman he thought he began to love appeared to be alive? That after five months of believing she was dead had been living in Kovir and didn’t send word to him at all? Did he want to even explain the sliver of hope that was slicing its way through his chest the very minute he stood here? Or that there was a possibility of being reunited with a woman that melted the ice around his heart? 

“The alchemist, then?” 

“I’m not telling you anything.” He snapped. 

Ciri groaned, “So touchy! I’m not here to stop you but to help you. If Lambert and Geralt knew about this they’d never let you live this down.” 

“As of right now, I couldn’t care less.” He shrugged and turned to Scorpion. 

Ciri nodded in agreement, seeing that he was speaking with full honesty. And he was. If Viana was alive then he would listen to anything they’d throw his way for the rest of his life. If it meant that he could hold Viana then he was willing to get bitched at for the rest of his life.

Ciri’s smile turned into a frown once she looked at Eskel preparing Scorpion. 

“You’re going to ride all the way there? That could take weeks and it’s the middle of winter.”   
“Something tells me that she won’t be leaving Kovir anytime soon.” 

At least he hoped. 

“What if she decides to take a trip? You never know.” 

Eskel grunted and turned to face her. “You got a better idea?” 

Ciri smirked. “I do.” 

He immediately regretted saying anything about it. He knew what she was going to do before she actually did it. Ciri quickly braced her hands on Scorpion and Eskel’s arm. His eyes widened once he felt the familiar thrum of Magic cut through the bitter air. It was humid, dry hat that he felt first before the portal warped around their bodies. The mouth of portal opened and they were pulled through, all at once he felt like falling and standing still all at once. His feet weren’t moving but his body sure as hell was. 

It wasn’t until the cold air returned to his warmed cheeks that he opened his eyes. Eskel stood in the middle of an alleyway of where he could only assume to be Kovir. 

“Good luck, Eskel!” Ciri laughed. 

He turned to say something that sounded like a thank you. Instead, he only looked at black stone of the wall in front of him. He swallowed and made a face tasting copper and dirt in his mouth. Geralt wasn’t wrong when he said that portals left a bad taste in his mouth. 

Eskel gently tugged on Scorpions reigns and led him into the streets of Kovir. As he came out from the alleyway he saw dark grey skies that seemed to drop pellets of snow. It plopped onto the ground and onto his clothes as he walked through. Right, he’d forgotten that Kovir was a frozen city. He hadn’t missed the cold in Kovir at all. At least at Kaer Morhen the air wasn’t bitter in the mornings like it was here. 

The city itself was carved and wrapped around the large mountain that watched over the Praxeda Sea. Walkways and shops swirled along the roads that led upwards to the main hub of the mountain. Townhouses aligned along the sides of the mountain while merchant corners loitered around the edges of the main path. None of the merchants hollered at Eskel as he continued his descent upwards. 

Eskel could hear the push and shove of the waves beneath the city. He always was wary of anything that built above the sea. He continued to push through villagers and watched as the townhouses turned into small shops that lined up together. Eskel found the main tunnel that lead into the main hub of the city and quickened his steps. 

He passed through people who had given him double takes to his looks. Eskel kept his eyes on the shops only, waiting for one alchemy shop to appear. He knew Viana and he knew she’d keep her shop on a lower profile than most of the jubilant ones that were bursting with life in the main hub. The road spiraled upwards as the center of the city stretched and came into view. The ground was flat yet the entire center of the merchant’s quarters was stretched into a perfect circle. 

More peddlers had their stands open, calling to anyone that passed by to look at their wares or stocks. Baubles and trinkets on one end of the trading center and on the other end was consumables and flowers. More houses appeared at the edge of the Merchant’s Hub just past the large granite stone pillars that fenced around the hub. 

The city center was bursting with life. Everyone chatted amicably and pulled their love ones close while enjoying the shops and the weather. Eskel watched in astonishment how everyone’s face seemed to be—content. No wars, blood feuds or massacres hadn’t aged these people. Only the snowy climate and bitter wind nipped at their faces. It was quite possibly the strangest thing he’d seen up to date. 

Eskel held onto Scorpions reigns tightly and continued to press through. Shops lit up the streets with all sorts of candles and torches. A nearby bakery had filled the air with scents of fresh bread and sweets. Eskel spotted a tailoring shop that sat beside a weapon smith where heat radiated off of the forge. 

Then, Eskel smelled it. 

Verbena and lavender. 

It wafted through the air and his heart clenched tightly in his chest. He knew that smell because it was the same scent that Viana had worn on her neck, the same scent that he’d been missing for months. This was no trick, then. No odd coincidence that an alchemist figured out the theory of body disintegration, who also wore the same perfume that Viana wore. 

He felt it in his gut. It was her.

He followed the scent to a brightly colored shop just beyond the main hub. A wooden sign flapped with the wind that read ‘alchemist’. The sign itself was decorated with hydrangeas and poppies carved into the wood with vibrant paints. The window that was on the front of the shop didn’t give Eskel enough sight to peer in. He could only spot bookshelves, a counter and a register from his spot in the window. It was nothing of importance, nothing that could give him more signs that Viana was just beyond the doors. 

He heard a chime and turned in time to see a couple strolling out with vials in their hands and smiles on their faces. Eskel tied up Scorpion to the nearest fence and listened in to the conversation between the two. 

“She’s wonderful. I heard Lady Marguerite adores all of her works. She even invited the alchemist to the party tonight.” The woman purred. 

“How exciting! A botanist and an alchemist coming together? My, the things they could do.” 

Their voices continued to fade as they walked farther away. Eskel had enough listening and observing and grabbed the door just before it closed. 

The place had all kinds of different scents that hung into the air. But it was only Viana’s perfume that Eskel chose to smell. The front of the store was decorated just like Viana’s greenhouse had been. Bookshelves lined along the walls with chairs in between them. Behind the counter was more shelves with only alchemical ingredients. Dried plants hung lowly on the shelves while jarred curiosities sat on top of them. 

Eskel heard humming from the back room and he recognized it as Viana’s voice. It had been the song she was humming the day he met her at her greenhouse. He felt like he’d never hear that humming ever again and to hear it now was the most invigorating thing ever. A fresh breath of life had entered his lungs as the humming continued. 

It wasn’t until the door closed behind him and the chime above the door jingled that the humming ceased. 

“Be there in one minute!” 

His chest nearly caved inside itself to the sound of her voice. He could hear shuffling feet moving in the back room. Heavy heeled boots that scraped across the wooden flooring. He couldn’t hear the sounds of a dress swishing across the floor. But that was all contrary the second that she came walking through the curtain from the back room. 

Viana slowly carried a crate full of glass jars and vials. Her hair was still in the same hairstyle but she had gone without the dresses he’d grown accustomed to. Instead, she wore long black boots with black leathers and a lavender tunic clung to her chest and arms with a dark red vest that cinched together. She wore a black hood around her shoulders. 

“Now, what may I help you—“She said looking up. 

Eskel watched as the entire crate slipped from Viana’s hands and shattered onto the floor. That had been the reaction he was expecting the first time they had met. Viana didn’t say anything, no words could have passed her mouth. Just complete, unmoving shock were written all over her features. Eskel could hear her heart thumping wildly in her chest. He counted each thump for each second that no words were being spoken. 

Eskel decided to speak first. 

“You look good. For someone that’s supposed to be dead.”


	8. Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eskel is reunited with Viana but yet something isn't right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I have failed to update! I'm trying to finish up one other fanfic and it's taking awhile!   
> I hope you enjoy this!

He had no idea what she was thinking or even feeling at this point. All he could hear was the grandfather clock ticking behind Viana, the sound of her heart beat (or was it his?) hammering in the dead quiet room. Her hands didn’t shake but her eyes roamed over him like she had seen a ghost.

 

“Eskel.” She whispered so silently that it was closer to a breath that escaped her lips.

 

Lips that he’d spent months missing, attached to a face that he believed he’d never see again. A woman that supposedly was taken away from him with a chemical explosion. But in the flesh she stood in front of him and only managed to whisper his name. She had shock written all over her face and she stepped forward, glass crunching under the heels she wore.

 

“How did you…? I thought…?” She rambled and continued to move forward.

 

“I could ask you the same thing especially when I attended your funeral.”

 

“My funeral! I attended _YOURS_.”

 

His brows scrunched together in confusion. What had he missed in the last five months? What did Viana know that he obviously didn’t? His death was definitely new news to him. He had more questions than answers by the time the door behind them swung open.

 

Eskel twisted around to watch as two gentlemen bumbled in. Upon their entrance, Viana gave an agitated groan and an eye roll to the two men.

 

“Not now…” she muttered under her breath.

 

Both were dressed in clothing that could feed all of the refugees from the following war. The two men looked at Eskel, Viana and the glass that had been broken on the floor. Then, they scrambled away from each other and unsheathing their swords to point at Eskel.

 

“My lady Vi! Is this Witcher threatening your life?” One blonde gentlemen said, keeping his blade poised and pointed at Eskel’s neck.

 

“That’s highly—“ Viana started.

 

“Because we can remove him from your store, immediately.” Another with dark hair hissed.

 

“Unnecessary.” Viana finished her sentence.

 

Eskel took a look at the sharp rapiers they had pointed at him. His eyes leveled back up to their faces and he raised a brow. “Adorable weapons, boys.” He sighed.

 

“Monsieurs, you’ll have to forgive me. There’s been a mistake—“

 

“These weapons were crafted by a brilliant mastercrafter—“The blonde chirped up.

 

“That obviously saw that you couldn’t handle a regular sword.” Eskel cut him off.

 

“Or we can just ignore me.” Viana hissed under her breath.

 

Eskel felt Viana shove through his chest and point herself directly in front of the two gentlemen. She laid her palms over the rapiers flattened edges and lowered them to the floor.

 

“Let me repeat myself, _gentlemen_. There has been a mistake. This Witcher and I know each other and he surprised me today. I am not in danger therefore you may sheath your weapons.”

 

Eskel could see clear shock register on their faces. Viana was nearly covered by Eskel’s shadow but he could clearly see that she was freezing them solid with her icy glare. The two men shared looks at each other and quickly sheathed their swords.

 

“Now, if you’ll excuse me I must be closing up early—“

 

“If this… _Witcher_ …does you any harm, let us know and we will deal with him.” The dark haired gentlemen spat in Eskel’s direction. Eskel scowled.

 

Viana merely sighed.

 

“An interesting display that would be…now let’s get you both on your merry-way…” Viana said moving forward and placing both her hands on their chests and quickly shoving them out of the door. Both men complained and whined every step on the way out even until they stood outside. Viana slammed the door and locked it shut.

 

Eskel watched her sigh and adjust her tunic before starting to turn around. “I’m so sorry you had to deal—“

 

Eskel struck. In a blink, he had her pinned between him and the door. He kissed her so strongly, so fiercely that she gasped. His hands pinned her wrists on either sides of her head. Viana shuddered against his chest and kissed him back with just as much force as he did. Eskel felt his chest tighten once she melted into him.

 

He didn’t know whether to continue kissing her or stop and then throttle her for making him believe that she had perished. He’d spent months mourning her and aching every day. Yet, here she was and they were kissing like time hadn’t affected them at all. But they did have time and he was going to spend plenty of it inside this small shop.

 

His died out quickly once Viana moved her lips back and took an unsteady breath. Eskel released her wrists but he let his hands roam down her shoulders to her waist, gentle strokes as she collected herself. It wouldn’t last long because he’d make sure that she would just come apart again.

 

“I missed you, Vi.”

 

She loosened a shaking breath. “And I with you.”

 

“I don’t want to be apart from you any longer but we need to talk about what happened.”

 

Viana nodded but Eskel could see that she was hiding something. There was a heaviness in her eyes that hadn’t been there when he saw her last. This uneasiness he felt, it didn’t feel right.

 

“Will…will you come with me to a party tonight?”

 

Eskel blinked at her in confusion.

 

“Witchers don’t do parties.” Or at least he didn’t.

 

“I believe that but I do need someone to accompany me tonight. The party starts soon and I can buy you some clothes for the party…”

 

“I’m not a fan of doublets or fancy clothes.” He’d seen Geralt in enough of them to last him a life time. Yennefer always did like Geralt to match with her and even with his witcher armor, it’d been dyed black to match the sorceress’s wardrobe.

 

“I will not dress you in a doublet but merely have you switch out of your clothes.”

 

“We won’t have to do that if you show me your bedroom.” Eskel muttered.

 

Viana’s entire face reddened and she gave a surprised laugh before tucking a stray hair behind her ear. It was true, he’d been dying to spend alone time with her before her ‘death’ and now that she was alive, they had a lot to make up for.

 

“I can assure you that I know where to find you good, yet presentable armor for this occasion.”

 

“This party is rather important to me and this way we’ll be able to talk about everything.”

 

“At a…party?”

 

She gave a short nod. “I think you’ll understand once we go— _if_ you go, that is.”

 

He did need his questions answered. He needed answers on her death, why the bandits appeared, how she escaped and faked her own death, why she didn’t write. There was even questions of why she believed he was dead and what funeral she attended.

 

But why not here? Why not in this moment? Why did she feel like talking about a private conversation in the middle of a public area? There was something strangely wrong here and maybe that’s what Viana was trying to hint at in the first place.

 

He could see that she wasn’t going to answer anything if they continued to stand here.

 

Eskel made a face. “Fine.”

 


	9. Marguerite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eskel attends a party with Viana, only to see that things aren't what they seem inside Kovir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya' see guys, I know I haven't posted in a while and I'm truly sorry about that.  
>  I'll try to post more now that I finished up a lengthy fanfic.

"Remind me why you dragged me to this event?" Eskel grumbled behind Viana.

 

The party was bigger than what Viana had described. The manor was decorated from the front gates all the way into the back of the manor. Streamers and fabrics of every color draped and clung to nearly every piece of building or shrubbery from what he could see. Candles and fire pits lit the way to the front of the house.

 

"Tis better if I show you why I stay inside my shop.”

 

Entertainment had been set up at the front of the house. Dancers strut around banging various instruments that carried the tune that floated out from the house. Fire-swallowers stood at the base of the manor and continued to the crowd before them burst into "oohs" and "awws" alike.

 

Tables were scattered about with crowds surrounding each one. It only took ears for Eskel to know that they were crowding around high-stakes Gwent matches. A jester strolled by, producing glimmering sand from his pocket and heaving it into the air.

 

Flowers decorated the gardens that they passed by, no one dared to breach past the raised flower bed but instead they observed it with great caution. Viana had her sights on the gardens, eyes entranced into the different types of flowers.

 

Most of them had been mutations from other flowers. Roses that bore bright blues, lavenders that blossomed into orange and yellows, even magnolias had been altered into greens and reds swirling into the petals.

 

Viana's brown, curly hair had been swept up into a lose bun where perfect ringlets hung on either side of her skin. Her lips were a dark shade of red while her green eyes seemed to glow under the dimly lit walkways. Every step she took, the smell of lavender drifted off of her.

 

"Van Sarten has always had a hobby for botany. I can see she's been busy trying to get these flowers to bloom in such cold winters."

 

"How exactly can you grow plants in this weather?" Eskel grumbled.

 

The fur cape that Viana had supplied him dusted along the back of his boots, but even through the thick of the cape the cold had managed to bite through that an the Viper armor he wore. He had remembered its nipping frost inside the frozen city but tonight it made it seem like ‘nipping’ was an understatement.  

 

The place was in an eternal winter and it made staying warm just a tad bit harder. Nonetheless, the armor he wore had thick leathers and sheep skin linings which fought off most of the cold.  Eskel wondered if how much money Viana had funneled into such well-crafted gear.

 

Viana watched his fidgeting and turned back to adjust her own cape.

 

"You look quite fetching in that armor."

 

"I thought the flattery was my job."

 

"I was just trying to say that I'd rather like to see you out of it." She then shrugged.

 

Eskel's eyebrows hit his hairline as Viana practically bounced toward the main entrance of the manor. He shook his head in disbelief, following directly behind Viana's shadow he followed her as they came toward the stairs that curved around from the center of the fire swallowers.

 

The lords and ladies that stood idly by gave looks to one another upon seeing Eskel's face. He ignored every look or gasp that came his way as he patiently followed her up the stairs. It wasn't until they stood at the door of the manor that the bouncer looked up from his scroll.

 

"Lady Viene, shall I make an announcement of your presence? Lady Marguerite would be pleased to hear you have arrived."

 

Viana simply smiled and shook her head.

 

"I don't need any attention on me. But if you could be so kind and point me in the direction of where your Lady is?"

 

The bouncer hurriedly pointed into the house and gave directions of where to find the lady of the manor. He turned to his duties once the two of them had stepped through the threshold of the manor.

 

"I can see you're not too keen on parties, tis why I won't keep us here long."

 

Eskel stood to her far left while more people eyed he. The fire-swallowers would have quit if they saw how much attention was drawn at the two of them. It could have been his unnerving yellow of his eyes or even that the famed Alchemist had finally appeared at a grand ball. He chose to believe the latter. He shrugged off his own cape just as Viana had unclasped her own. Letting a servant take her black coat Eskel finally narrowed his eyes on her gown.

 

A velvet maroon dress hugged around her arms and chest, leading up to a plunging neckline that was cut off by a leather belt. The dress continued to curve down HER curvaceous hips and trailed down to the floor. He eyed the locket that hung between her breasts that had an engraved heart in the center of it. She had his breath the first time he'd met her but how she looked now made that first look seem trivial.

 

"Speaking of removing clothes..." he muttered under his breath.

 

Viana's cheeks darkened and she batted her eyelashes at him. She didn't reply to him but instead began to descend down the grand staircase and into the throes of the party. She wove through groups of people who didn't give as much as a sideways glance towards her. Eskel, however, seemed to be the eye of the entire party.

 

Through the maze of people Viana's fingers laced through Eskel's hand. Her back still faced forward yet he could still feel her heart pounding from her grip on his hand.

 

The crowds of people began to slowly disperse until they had come to a stop in front of another large dining room. Large plants of nearly every color lined the walls and windows. The table had been full of berries and other assortments of fruits and vegetables. It wasn't until Viana tugged his hand gently and pulled him through until he laid eyes on a woman that nearly filled the room with her dress alone.

Rows upon rows of fabrics and tulle hung around the woman's waist. Colors more vibrant than the flowers he'd seen in the house decorated the gown. Sleeves so puffed and perfectly rounded that she stood like a queen in the presence of commoners. She was a peacock among pigeons.

 

The woman's eyes met Viana's and they nearly bugged out of her head. Quickly, she moved through people with a bustle and sway of her hips. Eskel could barely narrow his eyes on one color of the dress since every time she swished the colors swirled and blended together.

 

"Vi! My darling, I'm overjoyed to see that you came!" The two women embraced briefly before Lady Marguerite looked to Eskel.

 

"...and who is your gentlemanly caller tonight?"

 

 _Tonight?_ Eskel steeled his face into indifference at the woman's ploy. Viana merely blinked at her before squeezing his arm.

 

"Eskel, the Witcher."

 

He could hear the hesitation on her lips. But yet, there was only a calm expression on her features.

 

"I could tell by the eyes. They really _are_ just like a cat's. What school are you from if I may ask?"

 

"School of the Wolf."

 

"How interesting. Your appearance here has set tongues wagging, Vi." Marguerite fanned her face, giving a wink to her.

 

"When are they never not wagging?"

 

Marguerite let out a chirpy laugh that had her whole dressing shaking with it. Eskel could see the cautious eyes that were on them. Or, should he have said on Viana and Marguerite. Witcher or no, Eskel could have sprouted wings and no one would have batted an eyelash at him. Maybe this is what Viana was trying to show him. Because beyond her safe little workshop in the main square was an entire society lurking in the shadows. But why?

 

"So, when shall we conduct our experiments for the bettering of this world?" Marguerite said with a sweet smile.

 

"I don't see why we cannot start tomorrow."

 

Marguerite squealed excitedly. "Wonderful. I shall send a guard for you in the afternoon. Until then, enjoy my ball." Turquoise eyes landed on Eskel.

 

"A pleasure, Witcher."

 

Marguerite sashed away with a bustle of bows and colors following behind her. Viana loosed a breath and turned her head to look at him.

 

"Fucking shit that was awful."

 

"Don't like her?" He kept his eyes on where Marguerite had parted through the heavy crowds of people.

 

"Her flowers are truly remarkable and her intelligence is unmatched."

 

"Then what's the problem?"

 

Viana produced a fan from her wrist and flared it open. She leaned in, bringing the fan over their faces.

 

"There are others that do not like her standing in their spotlight."

 

She snapped her fan closed, feigned a laugh before her hand found his and she began to tug him towards the balcony. And if by magic the same servant that took their coats had appeared with their furs. Eskel took the coats, sliding a few coins into his hands before they stepped outside into the bitter air.

 

He unclasped her cape and threw it around her arms. Her hands went to her clasp while Eskel's hands still touched her arms. Her scent was overwhelming, it intoxicated him as his lips hovered over her ear.

 

"Did I forget to mention how incredibly beautiful you are?"

 

Viana's fingers grazed over his knuckles and she smiled. Her teeth were brighter than the moon, and her green eyes twinkled like the stars.

 

"I think we've come to the part in our date that I start answering your questions."

 

He’d been waiting to hear her say that for that the entire day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are GREATLY appreciated and welcomed!


End file.
